In front of the largest crowd ever for a Rattlers game at Kearney, Rochester rolled to a 17-11 victory Friday night over the New Jersey Pride behind Johnson’s eye-popping Major League Lacrosse record 31-save performance.

”It was pretty spectacular,” said New Jersey coach Ted Georgalas. “He made some saves that we really thought were going to be goals. He did a great job, and in certain flurries he was incredible.”

Johnson, who was selected third overall in the MLL college draft a few weeks ago by Philadelphia and then was traded to Rochester, was playing his first game at Kearney and he began the night not sure what was going to happen.

”Last night at practice I couldn’t save a thing,” said Johnson, who made 22 saves last Sunday in his Rattlers debut in the win at Baltimore.

”Luckily they brought these big spotlights in and made it a little bit easier, but it’s dark out here. With the orange ball it’s a little easier to pick up than a white one, so I just tried to follow it as best I can.”

Johnson’s career best for saves at the University of Virginia had been 22, and when told he had made 31 against the Pride he raised his eyebrows in wonder.

”I can’t even believe that right now,” he said.

Neither could his teammates.

”He’s making our defense look real good right now,” said defensive midfielder Chris Schiller of Penfield. “It’s exciting because you know in the back of your mind if you get beat, you’ve got a wall behind you.”

Questionable goaltending was the primary reason for Rochester’s absence from the MLL playoffs the past two years, but Johnson’s arrival gives the Rattlers a new confidence.

”We were giving up over 20 goals a game and we’ve gotten that number down,” said Rattlers coach B.J. O’Hara. “A lot of it is Tillman’s doing, but the guys in front of him are doing a really good job. Knowing that he’s behind them, I think the guys have a little more confidence, too.”

New Jersey’s Adam Doneger, who won the MLL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2003 as a member of the Rattlers, scored the first goal of the game, but that was as good as it would get for the Pride.

Rochester broke a 3-3 tie when Kevin Cassese and Penfield’s Brent Rothfuss — making his Rattlers home debut — beat New Jersey goalie Trevor Tierney for a 5-3 lead.

After Jesse Hubbard scored for New Jersey, Casey Powell scored two in a row that gave Rochester a 7-4 lead after one quarter and kick-started a dominating 7-0 run that put the Rattlers firmly in control.

That spurt was continued when Sean Lindsay, Webster’s Pat Dutton, Schiller, A.J. Shannon and Ryan Powell all beat Tierney, and soon the frustrated former Princeton goalie was on his way to the locker room.

With Scott Urick scoring twice, the Pride put together a three-goal run before the Rattlers responded.

Goals by Cassese, Rothfuss and Casey Powell in a span of 2:22 made it 15-7.

At that point, all that was left was the countdown to the save record, and Johnson made a point-blank stop with less than a minute remaining to break the mark of 30 held by Bill Day of the old Bridgeport team against Boston in 2001.

”He was the D-1 player and goalie of the year two years ago,” Schiller correctly pointed out. “He had something to prove because Virginia had an off year last year and guys were kind of doubting him, but he came in here focused and he’s showing what he’s all about. He’s making his mark as one of the best goalies in the league.”